August Services | Summer Schedule | Lifelong Spiritual Formation | Membership | Board of Trustees | UUCB HAPPENINGS &ANNOUNCEMENTS | All-Church Picnic | Drumming Circle | Holiday Fair | Concerts for a Cause | Side Door Coffeehouse | Coffee Hour | WORKING FOR JUSTICE: | Charities with Soul | LGBTQIA | Teen Center | ART GALLERY | Parish Messenger Deadline |
August Services
August 3rd – The Power of Poetry: Roots and Wings for Our Times
Led by Helene McGlauflin; Music by Grace Lewis-McLaren
Poetry is not simply a genre in literature. Poems are not only words on a page, verses in songs, works of performance art, the text of children’s books. Poetry is a community made up of all those who love poetry, all those who listen to poetry, those who write poetry in secret and those who speak their poems publicly. The poetry community holds us all.
Helene McGlauflin is an author, poet and writer, and a yoga and mindfulness teacher. Helene has three collections of poetry, a book called “Calm and Alert” about teaching mindfulness skills to children, and has written numerous articles, book chapters, and two booklets. She is currently working on a novel called Topia, the story of a school community facing the threats inherent in modern existence, and how they cope with the present and imagine the future. Helene is a member of UUCB and lives in Brunswick with her husband, Bruce, and is so grateful to be a mother and grandmother.
August 10th – Standing on the Side of Love
Led by Leslie and Deborah Fabian; Music by Grace Lewis-McLaren and Justin Wood
The Fabians will explore the love they’ve shared for 35+ years, as well as the difficulties of being a “transgender couple” who’ve survived David’s transition to Deborah, in 2011. They will speak of the many challenges they’ve encountered, what they are now facing in our current social and political climate, and the wondrous support they’ve received from family, friends, and their UU communities.
Leslie and Deb (then, David) were married in their Hopkinton, Massachusetts, front yard, in 1991, by a UU minister. They are now highly involved with the Williamsburg UUs. In their 34 years of marriage, the Fabians have also lived in Massachusetts, Nebraska, Louisiana, and New Mexico, spending many joy-filled summers in their cabin on Lake Winnipesaukee, in New Hampshire.
In 2021, Deborah and Leslie Fabian retired to Williamsburg, Virginia. They love their “newish” hometown where, fifty years before, Deb graduated from the College of William and Mary. She had then attended and graduated from Hahnemann Medical School in Philadelphia (now part of Drexel), ultimately becoming an orthopedic surgeon. Leslie worked in sales and raised two children, then, in her forties, obtained her Master of Social Work degree from Boston College. She became a psychotherapist, working with couples and transgender individuals, among others.
The Fabians are the proud parents of six adult children living in Colorado, Utah, Florida, and Arkansas. They are grandparents to five adorable little kids who live too far away!
Deb is Sarah Fabian’s sister and Leslie is Sarah’s sister-in-law.
August 17th – Universalist Pilgramage
Led by Rev. Maddie Sifantus; Music by Derek Herzer
Poetry is not simply a genre in literature. Poems are not only words on a page, verses in songs, works of performance art, the text of children’s books. Poetry is a community made up of all those who love poetry, all those who listen to poetry, those who write poetry in secret and those who speak their poems publicly. The poetry community holds us all.
Rev. Maddie Sifantus retired in July 2024 as full-time, ten year settled minister of the Universalist Unitarian Church of Santa Paula, California where she is now Minister Emerita. Before that she served two small formerly Universalist congregations in Massachusetts. She was originally ordained by the First Parish in Wayland in 2002 as a community minister. She served as First Parish’s Affiliate Community Minister until she moved to Santa Paula in 2015. She is the Founder and Director/Emerita of the senior citizen chorus she directed for 20 years, the Golden Tones. She enjoys supply preaching, leading Rites of Passages, spiritual companioning, her professional singing career and seeing her family who live in Pasadena.August 24th – Roots and Wings – Singles and Homers – – Lifelong Lessons from Baseball
Led by Carol McCoy
Music by Jud Caswell, Charlie Evans, Carol McCoy and the whole congregation
Carol Prescott McCoy, Ph.D., is a semi-retired professional genealogist, who was a psychologist, management trainer, human resource consultant, and life coach. You may know her as the self-appointed minister of hugs at UUCB. If you haven’t had a free hug from her, just ask. She grew up in Bronxville, New York and graduated from Connecticut College (for Women), and received her Ph.D. in psychology from Rutgers University. She taught nurses psychology in the Bronx, New York, and then worked in New York City for Chase Manhattan Bank until 1991. In Spring 1991, she came to her senses and moved to Falmouth, Maine to work for Unum Life Insurance Company. She started her own training and genealogy businesses in 2000. Carol began collecting baseball cards at the age of six and still loves cards! Her favorite show is “Plays of the Week” on MLB Network. Despite being a Yankee fan, she appreciates good play and rooted for the Sox to finally win the World Series.
August 31st – Freedom
Led by Rev. Elder Diane Fisher; Music by Rebekah DiRobbio
If you were to ask Rev Elder Diane Fisher to describe herself, she would likely say, “I am a retired (after 33years) lesbian Christian pastor of Metropolitan Community Church. I am a mother of a fabulous daughter, Karli, and married to Rev. Dr. Kharma Amos, who delights my heart.” Diane is a proudly Canadian queer activist who had her daughter with two gay men (Bill and Walter). She has a dog, Kady, who never leaves her side and three cats, Tea, Annie andTo bert. She is not quite ready for goats. She is supply preaching at a number of churches in this area of Maine and virtually for an MCC congregation in Ohio. She loves working with glass, visiting areas of Maine she has never seen and trying new things.UUCB Staff Summer Schedule
Rev. Dr. Kharma Amos, Minister
Study Leave & Vacation: Months of July & August
Toben Cooney–Callnan, Life Long Spiritual Formation Director
Vacation: Month of July
Will Bristol. Music Director
Vacation: Month of August
Shirley Bernier, Office Administrator
Vacation: July 7-11
Please submit materials for Sunday July 6 and July 13 Order of Worship by Tuesday, July 1 so there is time to complete both Orders of worship before the Office Administrator begins vacation.
Vacation: August 10-16
Please submit materials for Sunday August 10 and August 17 Order of Worship by Tuesday, August 5 so there is time to complete both Orders of worship before the Office Administrator begins vacation.
Summer Office Hours July & August
From June 30-August 31
Sunday………………………………………… Closed
Monday………………………………………… Closed
Tuesday………………………………….. 10am-4pm
Wednesday…………………………….. 10am-4pm
Thursday………………………………… 10am-4pm
Friday………………………………………….. Closed
Saturday………………………………………. Closed
For the month’s of July and August, please submit items for Order of Worship, Announcement Sheet, and All Church Emails, by Tuesday at 12:00pm. Please submit article via email at
Friday, July 4 – Office Closed For Independence Day
Week of July 7-11 – Office Closed – Office Administrator on Vacation
Week of August 10-16 – Office Closed – Office Administrator on Vacation
Lifelong Spiritual Formation
Adult Spiritual Formation Fall Programming
Meditation for Everybody
- Have you been curious about meditation and what it might offer you?
- Have you been a meditator but want to learn more or have company on your path?
- Have you ever wished someone would explain why people meditate and where to start?
SAVE THE DATES
Teaching sessions (3 total) :
Where: UUCB 1 Middle St Brunswick in Sanctuary
Topics:
Session 2: Getting to know your mind
Session 3: Finding Discipline for Practice
Practice sessions: Sept-May
Where: UUCB 1 Middle St Brunswick in Sanctuary
Structure:
20 minute silent sit
5/10 minute mindful movement (change from walking meditation)
20 minute silent sit
Break for tea
15 minute discussion: return to practice word, conversation about practice.
Membership
Getting to Know You
The Rev. Dr. Glenn H. Turner
I was born in Rhode Island, graduated from Brown University, and later from the Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley. I was a UU minister in Yakima, Tacoma, Natick, Sherborn and Baton Rouge. For 18 years I was the District Minister of the Northeast District of the Unitarian Universalist Association, retiring in 2000. I enjoy reading, travel, classical and Celtic Music. A move from Portland, ME to The Highlands, landed my wife, Caroline Loupe and myself close to the welcoming UU Church in Brunswick.
Caroline Loupe
I grew up in Ponchatoula, Louisiana. My hobbies included wandering in our woods, playing violin and all sports, and later, studying dance at Florida State University. I then taught dance at Smith College and at SUNY in Binghamton, NY, where I was also introduced to UUism. My emerging midlife career became Dance Movement Therapy, graduating from Antioch/New England.
Developing a clinical practice in DMT, I also studied and taught Contemplative Dance and Taiji after moving to Portland, Maine. Glenn Turner and I were married in 1984.
UUBC feels like my new home since moving to The Highlands in 2024, spiritually and musically.
Ann Butenhof
I grew up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. I am a recently retired attorney with a joint degree in law and social work. I owned a law firm for 20 years which specialized in estate planning, elder law and special needs trusts.
I enjoy all outdoor activities including kayaking, hiking & snowshoeing. For indoor fun I play ping pong, read books, do needlepoint and bake.
I was raised a Unitarian. After our children were born, we quickly discovered that a UU church is the best way to establish community, and we were active members of the UU church in Manchester, NH. Once in Brunswick, we found a thriving community at UUCB. Ann was recently elected as a new member of UUCB Board of Trustees.
Ken Butenhof
I was born in Rochester NY, graduated from Ithaca College and Case Western Reserve University. Ann and I then lived in Manchester NH for most of our working life.
Before retirement, I worked for a software company that makes tools for designing and testing pharmaceuticals including antibody based drugs.
I enjoy hiking and camping in any weather, canoeing and kayaking. Back in 2018 along with 7 other people I was on a rafting trip in northern Alaska. We paddled down from the Brooks Range through the Arctic Coastal Plain, including the “1002” area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that has been hotly fought over by oil and conservation forces for more than 40 years.
Our daughter moved from the west coast to Lewiston/Auburn area with her husband and two young kids a few years ago. We followed them to Maine shortly thereafter! As an ex-Presbyterian and secular Buddhist married to a life-long UU, where else could I go?
Board of Trustees
Happy mid-summer to all! I hope everyone is enjoying the warm weather. There was no Board meeting this July so this will be a brief note.
The Side Door Coffeehouse is up and running with featured artists through December! Thanks to all who made this possible.
Attendance was up significantly in Fall ‘24 and Winter/Spring ’25. As a result a church growth task force has been formed, and will be working on how to best accommodate our abundance of people.
The beginning of fiscal year 2026 is here, but accounting and reporting of FY25 is still ongoing. FY25 pledge giving was excellent. Everyone who has given will be getting a 4th quarter donation report before the end of July. Please contact me or Shirley Bernier if you have any questions about your report. Our finances are in good shape, and numerous people have prepaid some or all of their FY26 pledge.
Once again thank you all for your generous gifts of money, effort and caring presence.
Sincerely,
Keary Lay
Treasurer, Board of Trustees
Community Happenings
All-Church Picnic
Sunday, August 17th after the church service
Drumming Circle
Every Third Friday of the Month 5-7 pm
Holiday Fair
Remember to put on your calendars!
UUCB Holiday Fair
Saturday, December 6, 2025
9AM-3PM
Fair Launch Meeting
Sat., Sept. 13. 9:30 am
What is the Holiday Fair? It’s a major church event which builds Friendships and Funds (with Frivolity!). Visitors will be welcomed at the door and allured by the aroma of homemade soups in the Café and then on to the always intriguing White Elephant Room. Fellowship Hall will festively be transformed by Eats and Treats (and More!) and holiday greenery. Gently used jewelry will fill the May Sarton Room. The sanctuary will be bustling with vendors, handcrafts, used tools, and live music.
How does this happen? During the fall, UUCB’ers, longtime and new, join together with their creativity and energy to organize this amazing festive day.
There’s a part for everyone…
…for soup makers and music creators and white elephant organizers and all kinds of crafters and sewists and used jewelry donors and sorters and bakers of yummies and used tool donors and testers and greeters and lawn sign placers and set-uppers and take-downers and organizers and box-collapsers and….well, there’s something for
everyone!
We’ll need you all, do please remember.
See you all at the Holiday Fair on the sixth of December.
Concerts for a Cause
The mission of Concerts for a Cause is to hold a series of concerts to raise money for the church and local charities while sharing a variety of quality music with the Brunswick area community. This season’s charities will be Oasis Free Clinics and Immigration Legal Advocacy Project.
SAVE THE DATE
DON CAMPBELL BAND
September 20th @ 7:30 pm
The award-winning Don Campbell Band is a highly versatile, energetic ensemble, which blends many musical genres. Their music could be called “American crossover” akin to the Eagles and John Cougar Mellencamp. The band has been a mainstay at concerts, fairs, festivals, cruises, and civic events for over two decades, performing a mix of Campbell’s own heartfelt, original creations, and the music of Dan Fogelberg, The Smithereens, Johnny Cash, John Denver and Van Halen… there’s never a dull moment with their presentations. ALL the net proceeds will be donated to Oasis Free Clinics and Immigration Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP).
UUCB Concerts for a Cause 2025-2026 Series
You can see the entire lineup of the next season’s concerts and more details about each performer at https://clone.uubrunswick.org/concerts.
Side Door Coffeehouse
For years, the Side Door Coffeehouse was a venue for local musicians and other talents (professional and amateur) to share their talents, and for residents and visitors of the Midcoast community to enjoy great entertainment and conversation in a relaxed setting.
When the Side Door Coffeehouse closed during Covid, many disappointed people let us know, they wanted it back. We are happy to announce that the Side Door will be opening its doors again soon under the leadership of UUCB’s Music Director, Will Bristol, and a group of former and new volunteers.
The format will be the same as it was with an open mic, followed by a short break, and a featured performer. You may notice that the room seems a little cozier with some tables set up around the room. And there will be plenty of refreshments and coffee!
The coffeehouse will be held the 2nd Friday of every month except August from 7-9:30 pm. The cost will be $12 per person. Free for children 17 and under. The Coffeehouse is a fundraiser for the church as well with the featured artist receiving 50% of the door sales and the church receiving the rest.
To learn what you can expect at the coffeehouse and who will be the featured performers each month, click on https://clone.uubrunswick.org/upcoming-events/sidedoor-coffeehouse/
COFFEE HOUR
It’s Time To Think About the New Church Season and Making Coffee Following The Service. And We need YOU to make this happen Each Week – First Service that needs coffee Sunday September 7
Many of us hope to have this social gathering weekly following our Sunday service. Two or three volunteers are needed to prepare the coffee, set up the service and then clean up afterward. An instruction manual is available in the kitchen, and we will be arranging orientation sessions to teach anyone who wants to help.
Click on the link https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C4CAEAF28A5FDC52-uucbcoffee to access the online enrollment at the SignUpGenius website. Detailed instructions for enrolling are provided on the website.
Volunteers do NOT need to login or create an account. Contact us if you have any questions or need assistance.
Thanks from your Coffee Hour Coordinators.
Steve Martin and Linda Mallard
STORIES WITH SOUL
Taking The Summer Off – See You In September!Working for Justice
August’s Charity with Soul: Oasis Free Clinics
The mission of the Oasis Free Clinics is to strengthen our community by providing no-cost medical, dental and prescription assistance services to our uninsured neighbors in need. The vision is a thriving community that cares for all of its members. We serve adults 18-64 who live in the towns of Freeport, Durham, Brunswick, Harpswell, and Sagadahoc County.
Oasis was created almost 30 years ago because there was a gap in the healthcare system – there was no place for those experiencing homelessness to receive free healthcare with dignity and respect. Unfortunately, there are still gaps in our healthcare system, especially those who experience poverty, struggle with mental health and substance use issues, have limited literacy skills, and/or who bring complex lives into the exam room. We serve those who need something different from the traditional healthcare system and are facing health challenges that require more time than the typical 15-minute visit. We also serve as the primary medical and dental home for adult asylum seekers and immigrants who are living in the Midcoast community.
Oasis is the only medical and dental clinic whose sole purpose is to provide free care to uninsured adults in southern Midcoast Maine. Currently, we serve over 500 adults in our medical clinic and 350 in our dental clinic. Services are provided by our small paid staff and a network of volunteer medical, dental, and mental health providers, as well as administrative volunteers. Bowdoin College students regularly volunteer to provide administrative and communications support.
New Clinic: In October 2024, we opened our new clinic at 331 Maine Street. This new and expanded clinic allows us to provide more free care to our neighbors in need. With twice as many medical and dental rooms and the addition of an eye exam room, counseling space, and staff offices, we have space to grow for the future needs of our patients and community.
Medical Care: The Health Clinic provides adult wellness and prevention visits, women’s health visits, sick care, chronic disease care, limited mental health counseling services, and referrals to specialty care. In FY25, we say 317 people during 1,502 visits. Additionally, we provided free eye care to 133 people and helped many to purchase new glasses. Finally, our mental health providers gave 164 hours to support our patients.
We continue to see an increase in patients whose primary language is something other than English. Since 2016, we have gone from 1-2 patients whose primary language is not English to today more than 200. Languages and dialects spoken include Chinese, Creole, Tagalog, Lingala, French, Portuguese, Thai, Vietnamese, Taiwanese, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese.
Dental Care: The Dental Clinic addresses the oral health needs of our uninsured medical patients including conducting patient intake and health history, taking dental x-rays, doing fillings, providing dental cleanings, restorations, extractions, some oral surgery and endodontics. In FY 25, we provided over $465,000 in free dental care.
Anita Ruff, Executive Director
LGBTQIA
The LGBTQIA+ focus group has been on a bit of a summer hiatus with members individually participating in any number of community actions such as No Kings March, Make Good Trouble, and protesting at a local Laurel Libby event in Topsham.Indigenous Awareness
Looking ahead to the fall, the Indigenous Awareness focus group is exploring ways to engage the congregation in reflection and learning about local Wabanaki presence and concerns. We anticipate creating a display space at the church dedicated to those efforts.
We look forward to offering the October 19 Sunday morning worship service, working with invited guest, Mihku Paul, local Maliseet poet, visual artist, storyteller and activist.
Brunswick Area Teen Center
On the first Sunday of the month, we collect donations of toothbrushes and travel-sized toothpaste, shampoos, deodorants, lotions and body washes are greatly appreciated. The popular snack foods are fruit, cut up carrots, cookies, flavored water, and chips. Beverages and snacks aren’t required to be in individual servings any more.
Questions? Please contact: Joanne Allen, Carol Briggs, Cuffy Chase, Pat Moore, Susan Snow, Donna Tomkins, or Betty Wurtz
Art Gallery
AUGUST ART SHOW: Carol Wiley
This month UUCB is delighted to show the works of Carol Wiley, educator turned artist, who paints colorful and creative works in Midcoast Maine.
Artist’s Statement: I am inspired by the natural beauty of our environment, the inward explorations of the human mind, the human figure in both environments, and the work of artists throughout the centuries. While I am not compelled to paint everyday, after a short time at the easel the painting seems to take over. I like to say that painting feeds my soul.
I draw or paint from life, but for me, it is all about the process; subject is less important. I find freedom when I use a variety of media to explore color relationships, interesting shapes, and linear movement. Of these explorations, COLOR is by far my favorite.
The infinite possibilities for putting paint to surface fascinate me. Each time I approach the easel I am eager to see what will happen as I work to integrate what I know about painting with my intuition and inspiration..”
Carol is a member of Pemaquid Artist Group, Boothbay Region Art Foundation, and Maine Art Gallery and shows in all three venues. Carol’s works can also be viewed online at carolwileystudio.com and at her home Studio/Gallery at 17 Spruce Meadow Rd., Jefferson, Maine. Her mailing address is PO Box 209, Newcastle ME 04553, PH: 207-563-1657 or via email:
Artwork by Carol Wiley
Deadline for September Parish Messenger
Please send your content to: on or before Sat, August 16. Thanks!